Raging Passion
by ohmyashlee
Summary: Sasuke is a troubled youth, Naruto is constantly tormented to amuse others ar school. Through an unlikely friendhip can something more begin to blossom? SasuNaru, AU
1. Unsteady start

Words from yours truly: this is a SasukexNaruto fic and that means YAOI (boy+boy lovey dovey sugaryness 3) and~ in the future there will be lemony content so if you don't like. Don't read! It's also my first Naruto so fic so go easy on me, okay? ^^

Summary: Sasuke is a troublemaker sent to Naruto's school to start fresh and try to stay out of trouble. Naruto is a boy who struggles to endure the cruel fate that he was dealt all the while trying desperately to cling to himself and his sanity. Sparks fly, hearts are broken and love begins to bloom in the most unlikely of ways. 

Raging passion

.  .  .  .

Today was the day that school started up again. Naruto Uzumaki breathed a heavy sigh as he began to dress in his uniform. The closer he got to being ready to head off to school the more depressed he felt. In the world outside his safe haven, the one place he felt protected, he was considered public enemy number one and not just by kids his age but by people of all ages. If Naruto had just happened to meet the gaze of someone on the street he would be often be faced with hatefulness and bitterness in its prime. Sometimes he would feel resentment, he couldn't deny that, but he knew why people hated and feared him. Somehow it felt like other people had a right to despise him though it didn't make much sense all of the time. They didn't know him. What right did they have to judge him?

As far as Naruto knew he was the only living heir to the Uzumaki bloodline. Everyone else had either died or been killed. Naruto's parents had died shortly after his birth. He couldn't say he missed them because he had never known them but there are always times where he wished they wouldn't have died. Naruto had been left in the care of a man named Iruka after his parents died. Iruka was perhaps the only soul that Naruto could really trust or talk to. Iruka had been a friend of Naruto's father and he had told Naruto that he had sworn to look after him no matter what happened and for that Naruto was grateful. When Naruto had had questions or a difficult day he would always come running home to Iruka for comfort. Little things like that were some of the only things that kept Naruto going from day to day. 

Naruto would never forget the first time he had tried to approach a group of children to play. He had simply walked up to them and told them his name and before he had even realized what was happening the children had started throwing rocks at him calling him a monster. Monster! Naruto had run home bloodied, and in tears. He didn't understand why the other children didn't want to play with him and why they had thrown rocks at him and hurt him. "Iruka-sensei, why do the children hate me?" he had sobbed while his guardian had tried his best to patch the boy up. "It's complicated…" Iruka would say to him as he applied some alcohol to Naruto's cuts. "Why do they hate me? Why? I didn't do anything wrong…I didn't!" Naruto flinched and tried to swat Iruka's hand away. The medicine stung a lot and made his eyes water even more. Iruka looked at Naruto with the most serious expression on his face. He set down the bottle of alcohol before he knelt down in front of Naruto and let out a sigh. "Naruto, do you know that mark on your stomach?" he asked gently. Naruto blinked and lifted his shirt, examining the large, strange mark. He knew the mark all right. He had been born with it and Iruka had told him it was a birth mark. "This?" 

"Yes. That mark is…well, it's a seal. It's special. Your father, his father and his father's father all carried that same mark with them to their deaths. This mark is apart of your destiny and you must learn over time to endure your fate and live the best life you can. People will hate you and resent you because of this mark but no matter what happens you cannot give up hope." Iruka hadn't told him more than that until a few more years had passed. At that time Naruto hadn't understood much of what Iruka had told him being so young but he had tried his best to sort it out by himself until the time came when finally Iruka had decided to answer his questions once more. He had been ten years old when the full weight of his cruel fate had come crashing down onto his shoulders. 

"A spirit is sealed inside my stomach?" Naruto made a face and stared at Iruka in disbelief. "Yes, a spirit. But it's not just any just any spirit. It is an ancient evil. One that must never under any circumstances be allowed to roam free again." Iruka reclined back in his chair and had his head turned to the side so as not to meet Naruto's gaze. Naruto was always irritated when Iruka refused to go into detail about what the spirit was and why exactly it had been sealed in the first place. Iruka constantly avoided the subject by using the 'I'll tell you when you're older' phrase.  

"I told you a few years before that your father had the same mark and before him his father and so on. Legend says they are chosen for pureness in heart and for their courage to bare this painful task of keeping the evil spirit inside of them; to sacrifice themselves for the good of everyone even if the face of so much hardship. Your father lived his life as best he could but it was hard for him." Iruka paused momentarily. "He suffered greatly. I tried to help him as much as I could but there was a void in his heart that I knew I could never fill…then your father met your mother." Naruto laid his head chin on the table as he listened intently to Iruka's recollections of the past. It was so odd. Hearing Iruka talk about his mother and father didn't seem real at all, it just seemed like another one of those fairy tales about princes and princess and happy endings. They're nice to think about but things that happen in those stories have no truth to them. They are only fantasy. The real truth was that life was hard and a lot of the time there were no happy endings. 

"He was the happiest he had ever been around her and finally they decided to get married." Iruka began again. "The union was considered an outrage to everyone else but your father and mother didn't care in the least what anyone else had to say about their plans for marriage. It was their decision and no one was going to stop them. A year later your mother became pregnant with you." Naruto straightened himself and looked at Iruka. "What really happened to my father and mother?" he asked carefully. He wasn't even sure he really wanted Iruka to tell him right now. Of course, he had been told before that his mother had died giving birth to him and his father in some kind of accident. Iruka seemed reluctant to answer at first but after a few moments of uncomfortable silence he finally replied: "You're father ultimately became possessed by the spirit. He went insane and nearly a group of the townspeople. In the end someone had to shoot him to get him to stop. Your mother died giving birth to you, you know that. 'Such is the consequence for bringing yet another cursed life into existence' as you're father had told her. Your parents were two very courageous people, Naruto. No matter who or what stood in their way they were determined to live a happy life and provide a future for you, they wanted to overcome every obstacle but unfortunately they couldn't conquer everything." 

"…will I die like my father? Will I become possessed by this…thing that lives inside of me?"

"I don't think so."

"But I will die because of this seal, won't I? Why don't I just kill myself and save everyone the trouble of having to deal with." The table suddenly jolted upward a bit when Iruka quickly got to his feet and glared at Naruto, startling him. "Never say anything like that! You have a duty to your parents to keep yourself alive no matter what. If you die…and if you have no heir to continue to contain the spirit you will just end up releasing the villain and all of the suffering of your ancestors and your parents will have been for nothing!" 

That was one of the first and only times that Iruka had raised his voice like that. Afterward Naruto could remember running from the table and hiding away in his room for the rest of the evening. He could remember being so angry and confused, but by the next morning he had decided that he wouldn't run away. He would try his best to accept the fate dealt to him, even if it did cost him his sanity or his very life. It was true that he had never known his parents but he wasn't about to shame their memory by taking the cowardly way out and ending his life. He would fight and he would overcome. 

.  .  .  .  .

Naruto felt an overwhelming sense of fear rise up inside of him as he approached the school. Once he had made it up to the main gate he stood there for a long while trying to work up the courage to keep going. He managed to make it a little farther inside the gate with but great difficultly. He didn't get far before he felt like he was going to be sick. Naruto laid his hand over his heart and began to breathe deeply to try to calm his nerves. 

_It's okay…I'm going to be fine… _

He tried to tell himself little things like that every morning but he knew what was going to happen to him. He felt like someone offering his head to an executioner with an axe in hand. He felt helpless.

.  .  .  .  .

Today was the day. The day Sasuke Uchiha would have to start in his new school much to his disappointment. He had been completely against going to a new school, but unfortunately he wouldn't be able to have a say about it. Anyway, it was already too late. He had already been enrolled and today was the day that school started up again. "Don't look so pissed off. If you glare any harder out that window you might shatter the glass," Kakashi, Sasuke's guardian, mumbled as he steered the car towards the school parking lot. Kakashi was an unusual man but he was probably the only person that Sasuke could trust. 

Kakashi had once been a cop before he had met Sasuke and decided to be his legal guardian. He finally quit after a routine arrest turned deadly when the suspect had decided to resist by pulling out a knife and attacking Kakashi and his partner. Kakashi suffered an injury to his left eye and it still has long scar over it from where he had been cut; he's also blind in that eye. Kakashi's partner wasn't quite so lucky. He was killed by their suspect's accomplice who had been armed with a hand gun, shooting the unsuspecting cop in the back of the head. After that Kakashi quit the force and somewhere along the line met up with Sasuke. Sasuke had been abandoned by his mother at a young age along with his older brother. They had stuck together and watched out for one another, and yet in those years Sasuke had spent living on the street with his brother he still felt like he was alone. Sasuke's brother, Itachi, wasn't at all what you would have called caring or loving. He always seemed to act like Sasuke was a burden to him and finally one rainy afternoon Itachi just left him behind. Sasuke had been abandoned again. Sasuke had managed to get along by himself, but naturally he had had to steal to keep himself alive. He did so until he finally got caught and that's when he had met Kakashi for the first time. 

Sasuke shrugged and sat back in his seat, not saying anything. It was typical of him and Kakashi was more than used to the teenager's behavior. "You know you can't blame anyone except yourself. Honestly, Sasuke, what were you thinking?" Kakashi sighed. Sasuke had been expelled from his last school for getting into a fight with the principle. The way Sasuke looked at it the bastard had deserved to get his ass kicked, but that was in the past now. "Not only did you beat that man senseless but you also ruined his car…you're lucky he just settled to have you kicked out of the school and didn't press charges," Kakashi chuckled, finding it amusing for some reason. He glanced at Sasuke as he pulled up in front of the school. "Am I going to have to drag you kicking and screaming or are you going to be a good little boy and go quietly?" Kakashi asked sweetly, smiling a devilish smile. Sasuke gaped at his guardian and eventually got out of the car, muttering curses. Kakashi waved to Sasuke then drove off down the street. Sasuke followed the car with his eyes and waited until it was gone completely. As he walked up to the school's entrance he didn't see any other students so he guessed that he was late. Sasuke shrugged, Kakashi was always late for _everything_. It was amazing that the man could keep down a job, but then again Kakashi was a weird guy. He seemed like he could manage anything if he concentrated hard enough on doing so. 

_Oh well… _

.  .  .  .  .

"Oh, look who decided to show up today. It's the _demon _child," a voice howled. Naruto flinched and straightened himself before he quickly looked up ahead of him only to find a group of his classmates standing there, waiting. Instead of going through the main entrance Naruto had decided to try and sneak around the back of the school, but unfortunately it seemed that this plan of action had been anticipated. This scenario was all too familiar to Naruto. Every day he would come to school at the very last minute just after everyone else had gone inside the school and every day his plan to avoid everyone else at least for the first few minutes in the morning were destroyed by this group of boys. There were five boys in all and they lived to torture Naruto. At first Naruto had stood up to the boys but it was five against one and usually Naruto wouldn't be able to fend them off successfully alone. The only thing he could try was to run to class if he could in once piece. 

Naruto stared at the boys and without waiting for them to get their chance to advance on him he bolted, running as fast as his legs would carry him. He could hear the thunder of footsteps behind him but didn't look back; instead he concentrated on where he was going. Naruto had found a dark corner to hide away in and tried as hard as he could to keep quiet but he was breathing so heavily. He covered his mouth with his hands to snuff out the noise, his lungs felt like they were on fire. Naruto listened intently but didn't hear any noise from around him. He relaxed and allowed himself to breathe again, coughing and gasping as he did. Naruto grabbed his bag and carefully looked around the corner of his hiding place just to make sure he was safe. He didn't see anyone so he moved to expose himself completely when he felt someone grab a hold of him suddenly and jerk him to the side. Naruto let out a yelp before he found himself face to face with one of the boys who had been chasing him. "Trying to run, eh?" the boy sneered. "When are you going to learn, _demon_?You have nowhere to run." Naruto was thrown violently thrown onto the ground. He looked up and found that he had already been surrounded by the group of boys. There was nowhere to run. 

Naruto was kicked, punched, cursed, spat on…in the beginning when the boys had first started to gang up on Naruto he had screamed and cried when they had hurt him. They had enjoyed his cries of pain and it only seemed to encourage them further so after a while Naruto learned to hold everything in. No matter how much they hurt him he wouldn't make a sound if he could help it. He really didn't care if he was beaten, he didn't care how cruelly they treated him or what they said to him, it didn't matter anymore…this was his fate, why should he try to fool himself and hope for a better future? 

One of the boys grabbed Naruto by the collar of his uniform and tried to yank him to his feet, but instead he only ended up ripping his shirt half open. The boy let out a gasp and released Naruto suddenly, stepping back. The other boys followed his lead and just stared Naruto as if he had suddenly grown two heads. Naruto stared at them momentarily before looking down and noticing that the top of the seal on his stomach was slightly exposed. It was odd that the very reason for his suffering had managed to frighten away his tormentors. 

"Joel, i-it's nothing…what are you getting so worked about? It's just the mark…" one of the boys huffed. The head tormentor half grinned, shrugging his shoulders as he tried to casually hide his embarrassment at his sudden retreat. "I-I know…I've just never see it up close before, that's all." 

"Tch, yeah right, you're just afraid to admit you're a coward. You're just as afraid of this damn mark as I am but you aren't stuck with carrying it with you for the rest of your life. I am!" Naruto bit out. He couldn't stand the sight of these guys any longer. He couldn't take these kinds of situations anymore…he wasn't just going to lie down and die. He had made a promise to himself to overcome any obstacle in his path and these boys were just another of a long series of obstacles. Joel, the lead man, clenched his fist and held it up as he attempted to punch Naruto but before he could get the chance he was knocked flat on his face. 

"What the hell?!" one of the other boys exclaimed before he was also knocked to the ground. Naruto looked up and blinked in surprise when he saw a boy dressed in a black t-shirt and a pair of worn jeans. He had jet black hair and sharp eyes which had a touch of crimson to them; they were unlike any eyes Naruto had ever seen before. 

The unknown boy had his foot set squarely on one of the other boy's heads as he squirmed beneath him. "Bastards, you'd think guys like you would have something better to do than pick on some weak kid. Get out of here." The words were filled with malice, it was even enough to make even the toughest boy, Joel, speechless. The group of boy's collected themselves quickly before sprinting away, leaving Naruto behind with the dark haired boy. After he was sure they were gone Naruto picked himself off of the ground and adjusted his torn shirt just enough so at least the mark of his stomach was hidden. He picked up his bag and frowned when he noticed the footprints all over it, the group of boy's had trampled all over when they had run away, a small parting gift he supposed. Naruto dusted his bag off before he turned and looked at the dark haired boy who was staring directly at him. Unnerved by the other boy's intense gaze upon him Naruto quickly looked at the ground before he bowed slightly. He opened his mouth to thank the other for helping him but before he had the chance to the other boy spoke up: "Don't bother thanking me. I didn't do it for you. I just hate seeing people start fights with people who obviously don't stand a chance." Naruto stiffened and gripped his bag, frowning. Well, that was awfully blunt of him. Oh well. 

"I-I didn't ask for your help, but I still appreciate what you did. I know you said not to thank you, but I want to. Thanks."  He bowed again and walked away. He headed inside the school and immediately retreated to the nearest bathroom to get himself cleaned up a bit before he had to go to class. Naruto cleaned up his cuts and scrapes but he still looked awful, not to mention that his uniform was now torn. He sighed and stared at himself in the mirror. Oh well, this was just another thing he would have to learn to deal with…at least for today. Naruto made his way out of the bathroom and towards his first class. By the time he had finally reached it he was thirty minutes late but even if he had been a minute late it still wouldn't matter to the teachers he had at this school. He opened the door and was met with absolute silence, at first anyway. The teacher turned and faced him with an indifferent expression on his face. "Oh, well, look class. It seems like Uzumaki finally decided to join us. You're thirty minutes late, you know." Naruto nodded and bowed his head. "Yes, I'm sorry…I was delayed." 

The teacher snorted and faced the black board once again. "That's no excuse. Christ, what a pain in the ass you are. Just go take your seat, will you? You're holding up the lesson." There was some laughter and sarcastic remarks hurled at Naruto as he quietly took his seat in the corner in the very back of the room, separated from the rest of the class. The teacher knew exactly why Naruto had been late for class but the well being of a monster like Naruto was obviously the least of his concerns. Naruto sighed and immediately tried to focus his attention on what lied out the window which was right by his seat. He tried his best to ignore the pain nagging at him from his aching limbs, but today the routine beating he received in the mornings had been a little more vicious than usual. Naruto knew it would get far worse as the day dragged on. This would not be the last of his torment for the day, no, it was just the beginning. Naruto was oblivious to the pair of eyes fixed directly on him, watching him ever so carefully. The eyes belonging to a boy named Sasuke Uchiha, the dark haired boy with crimson eyes. 

**~ To be continued ~**

A/N: woo-hoo! First chapter is up. Yayness~ *cheers* to tell the truth I had three other alternative beginnings to this story of mine but in the end I settled with this one…I hope it's not too horrible. ^_^ I know this chapter is very vague and just…blah! But I'm going to work harder to produce better quality chapters in the future…um…that is if anyone reads this. *laughs nervously* okay I'll shut up now. ^.^;

P.S: I spaced out the paragraphs a bit more. Sorry to those of you who read it before and got a headache from all my sentences being crammed together like that. .;


	2. Find Myself

Raging passion

. . . .

Chapter 2: "Find myself."

"Hey, hey, look. DC doesn't look too good fellas," a boy hooted in amusement as he stared down into Naruto's indifferent face. It was lunch time and around that instance students were free to roam and eat wherever they wished. Most preferred to head out into the gardens to eat and chat with friends or others headed to a more secluded area or to a prohibited area for fun. Naruto liked to stay in the classroom. He had thought at first that this would save him from bullying and it did, at least for a little while.. It was only a matter of time before some of his other classmates began to hang around in the classroom and tease him like they always did.

"Hey, DC, you look pale, you okay? You're not going to pass out from such a pathetic beating, are you?" the same boy smirked and poked Naruto's forehead with his finger. This bully's name was Kyle. He was apart of the same group that had joined the ritual of attacking him in the morning, needless to say Naruto didn't appreciate his company.

Naruto glared up at the boy, irritated. He _hated _the name "DC," which was short for _demon child_. The nickname had followed him since he was very young. It had hurt to be called such a horrible name when he was smaller but it stung even worse now. "Don't touch me!" Naruto hissed, slapping the Kyle's hand away fiercely. Kyle blinked in surprise but quickly regained his composure. Everyone had assumed Naruto to be a weakling and he didn't mind letting them think that, he didn't care. He was not in a good mood today though so he wasn't about to let anyone walk all over him.

"What the fuck was that, huh?" Kyle snarled, fists clenched. He promptly slammed his hands onto Naruto's desk and leaned forward. The two boy's faces were mere inches apart and neither seemed to be ready step down. "You heard me. I told you not to put your shitty hands on me!" Naruto replied, his tone equaling the ferocity of the other boy. Naruto's tormentor again seemed to be mildly disturbed by these sudden outbursts. The other boy clenched his fists again before his hands shot out and grabbed Naruto by the shirt, yanking him to his feet. "Hey boys, we were just concerned about our dear friend here, right? I was being friendly, wasn't I?" Kyle called over his shoulder to a group of his friends who were also in the classroom. The other boys came over; nodding in agreement and like parrots began repeating back just what Kyle had said to them. Kyle reached up with one of his hands and roughly caressed Naruto's bruised face, his thumb rested on Naruto's bottom lip. "Tch, you're pathetic. You try to act tough but these bruises prove what you really are to everyone. A weakling," Kyle yanked on Naruto again and tossed him into the awaiting arms of his followers.

"Looks to me that our buddy needs to splash his face with some nice cool water." Kyle led the way out of the classroom and into the hall. The boys holding onto Naruto followed after, dragging the blond right along with them. As to be expected there was a crowd of students just hanging around outside of the classroom and as soon as they laid eyes on Naruto they seemed to understand what was going on. Naruto was taken all the way down the hall until they reached the boys' bathroom. A horrible feeling of dread began to well up inside of Naruto and he struggled with the boys who held him, kicking and punching. More arms reached out and grabbed onto Naruto. He was subdued and pinned onto the dirty floor of the bathroom. Naruto squirmed under the boys' grip, grunting and kicking still.

"Keep him still," a voice said. It was Kyle. Naruto tried to look up but from the awkward position he had be pinned in it made it difficult. As if he were able to read Naruto's thoughts Kyle bent down onto one knee so he was in clear view. He smirked. "How's this? Can you see me now?" he said in a sarcastic tone. Kyle reached out and patted Naruto's cheek, making Naruto all the more irritated. He promptly bit down on to one of Kyle's fingers. Kyle pulled back his hand and winced in pain before he glared icily at Naruto. "Bitch…" he muttered. Kyle grabbed a fist full of Naruto's hair and yanked up slightly while he pushed the other boys out of the way as he began to drag Naruto into one of the stalls. Naruto winced in pain but didn't make a sound. "Like I said, you seem to need a refreshing splash of water on your face…" Kyle started and pushed Naruto's face near the toilet bowl. Naruto pulled himself back and caught a hold of the hand that was still grasping firmly to his hair. He punched Kyle in the stomach and while the other boy was hunched over trying to catch his breath Naruto tried to make a run for it. He didn't get very far. The other boys caught a hold of him and waited for Kyle.

"Go on, what are you waiting for, you idiots?" Kyle barked at them, holding his aching stomach. The boys tugged Naruto back into another stall and forced him to kneel before they forced his head down into the water. Naruto tried to close his mouth but he ended up choking down some of the water. By the time he was finally pulled out Naruto had a violent coughing fit, his whole body shivered in between his gasps for air and coughs. Naruto put his head back as far as he could and stared up at the ceiling. He was starting to get dizzy. From the snickers from the boys to the pounding of his own heart in his chest, noises swirled around him and he couldn't seem to make sense of anything anymore. The boys seemed to be ready to dunk Naruto again when Kyle suddenly called to them and said that that was enough. Naruto was dragged again, out of the stall this time and back out into the hallway. He was abandoned somewhere in the middle of the hall and in the midst of a crowd of other students who were standing there. Some were probably there by chance while others had come to see what was going on. Naruto started to sit up when someone approached him and stood in front of him. Water dripped down from Naruto's wet hair and stung his eyes, making his vision a bit blurry.

_I hate this…_

Sasuke had been watching all the commotion from afar. He didn't understand why all of these guys wanted to beat up on that one kid for or why no one was helping him out or at least trying to stop this. It seemed to be an ongoing cycle of abuse fixed on that one student. It didn't make sense; then again this whole school seemed to be full of nutcases. The blonde seemed to be trying to pick himself up but was knocked down and kept lying flat on his stomach. Sasuke frowned and moved to forward to interfere, if no one else would stop this he would.

"What are you doing, fools?" a voice demanded.

Sasuke hesitated and decided to remain where he was for the moment. It seemed he wouldn't have to do anything after all.

Naruto looked up and saw Neji standing before him though the other boy wasn't looking at him nor did he seemed concerned in Naruto in the least bit. Neji's piercing gaze was fixed on Kyle and his gang. Neji was well-known in Naruto's school. Not only was he class president but he excelled in his academics, he was a born athlete and his family was well off. If anyone fit under the word 'perfect' it would be Neji. Not to say that the guy didn't have his quirks. Naruto didn't know the guy very well but from what he had overheard from the other students discussions he cold and distant towards anyone who approached him. Neji also had a strange habit telling the people who bugged him that something awful was going to happen to them and something usually did happen. Once Neji had a girl admirer who had hounded him for a few days. Neji had told her quite suddenly one day that her father was going to have a tragic accident and that she had better be prepared for the process of mourning. The next day the girl's father died. He had been hit by a car while crossing the street to get to work. Most said it was just an eerie coincidence but Neji's fortune telling continued after that and every prediction seemed to come true. Naruto didn't believe in any of it really, the way he saw it everyone was just being too gullible. Bad things happen and just because some weirdo tells you out of the blue beforehand meant nothing.

Neji was the kind of guy who believed strongly in fate and it was rumored that he could see the future because of his predictions, but for some reason it was only the negative, horrible things that were going to occur that he saw.

Even though Neji had no friends he was still respected by everyone. Even his enemies dared not to cross him for fear of the consequences, so needless to say Neji was able to keep a tight leash on everyone to keep order. Usually when Naruto was getting really thrashed by other students Neji would put a stop to it if he happened to catch notice of it at the time. There was no doubt in Naruto's mind that Neji in no way meant for this to seem like some kind of act of kindness. Neji was no different from the others as far as he was concerned.

"I asked you a question." Neji's gaze hardened and Kyle seemed to tense. "N-nothing, we were just trying to help DC here get the bathroom to wash his face because he didn't look too good." Kyle punched one of the boys next to him and he began to nod, saying that it was the honest to god truth that's what they were doing. Neji shrugged and turned to leave. "No more games today. You'll be sorry if I catch you being un-orderly again," and with that Neji turned and headed down the hall. Once Kyle was sure he was gone he glared at Naruto. "Damnit, thanks to you we just got on that guy's bad side. You're nothing but trouble. Miserable little--"

Naruto got his feet and began to wipe his face dry with his sleeve. The last thing he was worried about was paying any more attention to Kyle, which infuriated the other boy. Kyle moved as if to grab Naruto again but before he could someone spoke up.

"Kyle, you heard him. Don't start up anything again." Gazes turned to a girl in the crowd. She was a small thing with bright pink hair and fiery green eyes, glaring at Kyle. She was Sakura, another classmate of Naruto's and the only person who Naruto could say he couldn't really resent. Sakura had a reputation for having a new boyfriend every two days and for being a bit violent and bitchy when she didn't get her way. Even so she had been perhaps one of the only people who had bothered to be nice to Naruto, even if it had been just once. It had been a few years ago.

. . . . .

"Monster!"

"Go away, no one wants you here!"

"Demon child!"

Naruto watched soberly as the group of kids scattered and left him, standing bloodied and bruised. He frowned and began to rub some of the scrapes and scratches on his face furiously with the back of his hand. The blood and sweat running down his forehead was stinging his eyes. Tears threatened to spill down his cheeks but Naruto flat out refused to let himself cry. Despite what everyone thought he was not a weakling, nor was he a monster or a demon child. He was human. How he wished to be accepted and acknowledged, how he longed to truly be normal. A sob came up before Naruto could stop it and tears began to flood down his cheeks. Disgusted, Naruto reached up and began to wipe at the tears furiously until his face began to hurt.

_I hate this…_

"Hey, you…" Naruto felt something soft against his forehead and looked up quickly. He found himself staring at a pink handkerchief which was right in front of his face. He blinked and leaned a bit to the side, only to see a girl his age standing there. Her hand was extended and in it was her handkerchief. She pushed it at him again and when he made no move to take it she became angry. Her nose wrinkled up and her lips thinned. "Take it. Are you stupid or something?" she said, shoving the piece of cloth into Naruto's chest. It fell lifelessly at his feet, but Naruto didn't seem to notice. He was too busy staring at the girl. She had hair the color of the handkerchief and bright green eyes. She was pretty cute, but not so much when she was angry. She kind of looked like an old hag with her face all wrinkled up like she said it or so Naruto thought. He thought it was funny but his expression never wavered from the seemingly confused one he wore at that moment. The girl shrugged and adjusted her backpack a little. "You really must be stupid…" she grumbled and began to walk away.

Naruto watched her start to leave and then bent down to pick up the handkerchief. Had this been a gift of some sort? Naruto's chest began to burn slightly and he touched it lightly with his hand. He couldn't tell what this feeling was, but it wasn't a bad one he knew. He got back up. "T-thank you…" he whispered and clenched the handkerchief in his hand. He had said it softly enough so that the girl hadn't heard, but much to Naruto's surprise she stopped for a second. She turned around slightly. "Hey, that's for your cuts. Make sure you take care of that. It's my favorite handkerchief. If you get it all dirty or lose it I'll never forgive you!" she shouted before she ran off.

Naruto watched her disappear around the corner and smiled. She hadn't told him her name, but later he found out who she was when he started attending school. Her name was Sakura. It hadn't been a very tender moment that Naruto was sure of. However, it was an act of kindness in its own way and Naruto couldn't remember the last time anyone had remotely tried to be nice to him on the outside. Since that moment Naruto had always harbored secret feelings for Sakura. Yes, he had a crush on her.

. . . . .

Kyle glared right back at Sakura. "Oh, shut up." He walked up to Sakura and crossed his arms, standing tall and straight as if daring her to open her mouth again. Sakura scowled at him. "I will not shut up. I have every right to speak my mind. You and your pathetic bunch of flunkies don't scare me!"

Kyle grabbed the girl by the front of the shirt. "Bitch, I dare you to say that again. Do you have any idea who you're talking to?" A cool expression appeared on Sakura's face for a split second before she smiled. "Of course, you're a spoiled little brat who throws temper tantrums when he doesn't get his way. Hmph. If you want to hit me, go ahead and hit me." Kyle began to shake with anger and held up his fist to strike Sakura but before he could get the chance he was knocked to the side by a powerful force. Caught off guard by the blow Kyle fell gracelessly to the floor with a thud. Absolute silence followed. Naruto stood above Kyle panting heavily, with his fists clenched. One of his fists was bloodied and not all of the blood was his own. Kyle stared wide-eyed at Naruto and reached up with one of his hands quickly when he felt a sharp pain in his mouth. He pulled his hand away and found blood on his fingertips, and tasted it in his mouth. No one seemed to move and all that could be heard in the hallway as Naruto's sharp intakes of breath.

After what seemed like an eternity Kyle got to his feet again. He began to walk away but turned slowly, staring at Naruto. "You're dead," he said simply, almost gleefully before he turned around and continued on his way. The other boys in his group followed after him one after the other and not one of them looked back, soon after the crowd of students who had gathered to watch the display had dispersed. Naruto watched them go and let his throbbing fist fall lifelessly to his side. Sakura stood there silently beside him and said nothing for a long time. She glanced around nervously as if she didn't want anyone else to hear her speak. "Y-you idiot…" she muttered, clenching her fists and holding them over her chest. "Why did you have to do something stupid like that, huh? Do you realize what you've done? Now everyone must think I'm friends with you…or worse! What if they think I'm your girlfriend?" she shouted. She was angry. Very angry, and it was all Naruto's fault. "I didn't say what I said to help you out, you know. Kyle is a jackass. I hate him. I just wanted to get under his skin, he needs that every now and then…but you…"

Naruto's gaze was still fixed on the spot where Kyle had been just a few minutes ago, sprawled out onto the floor. For the first time in his life he had felt like he had all the power he ever needed to make things right with his life. To finally stand up and put a stop to the endless amount ridicule, to walk with his head held high and finally not be afraid anymore. But why did he feel so horrible? He couldn't bring himself to look at Sakura. Had what he done really been so unforgivable? He had saved her from getting hurt, hadn't he? He didn't understand. Naruto had assumed Sakura would be…grateful maybe? He shrugged. That was a joke. Now he could see what a fool he had been. No matter what he did she would always hate him…he would always be despised and loathed.

"I hate you!"

Naruto continued to stare vacantly at the wall. The words he had heard so often from everyone. It made him angry, sad and helpless, but he didn't have the energy to say anything or even acknowledge that he had heard Sakura at all.

"I hate you!"

_Please stop…please…I can't stand it anymore! _Naruto thought.

Naruto glanced to the side finally and saw Sakura still standing there beside him. Her eyes were full of pain, anger and tears. He had made her cry, the one person who he had wanted more then anything to just simply spare him a passing glance or a small smile had told him that she hated him.

Sakura rubbed her eyes furiously before whipping around and running away. Naruto watched her go until she disappeared around the corner. Naruto ran a hand through his unruly hair, wondering what he should do now. He felt disoriented and empty. He couldn't think straight and moving from his present location seemed nearly impossible.

_Would it matter if I just stayed here forever? No one would care._

Naruto heard footsteps behind him and looked to the side only to see the boy who had helped him this morning. He had a smug look on his face, and his hands stuffed in his pockets. "That was quite the melodramatic moment."

Naruto stared blankly at him and said nothing. He really wasn't in the mood for any more taunting today. If he had to he would let this jackass have a formal introduction with his fist too. The dark haired boy walked towards him and came so close that Naruto had to move back, but even then they were almost nose to nose. "What's your name, stupid?"

Naruto frowned, clenching his fists. He didn't have to take this. He had had quite enough of the name calling. Naruto was tired of being bossed around. He moved to turn and walk away but the other boy caught him by the shoulder. As if by instinct Naruto moved to punch the other boy, but his punched was blocked easily. Naruto moved to step back once more but the dark haired boy held onto his wrist firmly. "Let me go, asshole!" Naruto hissed. The other boy didn't respond at all to Naruto's angry shouts and instead did the strangest thing. His brushed his lips lightly against Naruto's injured knuckles. This made an odd sensation run through Naruto's arm and then throughout his entire body. Immediately Naruto jerked himself away from the dark haired boy, cradling his fist as if he had been burnt.

_What, what was that…? _

"Uchiha Sasuke."

"Huh?"

"Uchiha Sasuke. That's my name. Now, tell me yours." Sasuke still had the same smug look on his face and Naruto hated him already for that look. "Hey, stupid, weren't you ever taught any manners? When someone tells you their name the polite thing would be to tell them yours."

Naruto scowled. He hated this guy already. "It's Uzumaki Naruto," he said. "And stop calling me stupid," he added.

Sasuke nodded as if he approved the name, ignoring Naruto's last comment completely. "Well, Naruto, would you mind telling me what the hell's going on around here?" Naruto gave Sasuke an annoyed look. "What are you talking about?" Sasuke shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. It seemed his questions weren't going to be answered just yet. But that was fine. He could wait. "Never mind," he said. He turned and started down the hallway. About halfway down he stopped and glanced back at Naruto. "Hey, stupid, are you coming or not?"

"Why the hell should I go with you?" Naruto growled.

"Your wounds, you need to get cleaned up." He turned and started walking again. "Stupid…" he muttered under his breath, but Naruto heard it just the same. He wasn't going to let this guy get away! Calling him "stupid, stupid" all the time, it was annoying. No one had ever managed to get to Naruto this way. He wasn't going to let him get away. "Wait up, you!"

**To be continued **

A/N: Well, there you are. The second chapter. Sorry it took so long. I swear I have a good reason for not posting up a new chapter in such a long time. One word: finals. I have ten days or so of school left and in those ten days and have a shit load of work to do…which is my reason (aka: excuse as some people put it) for not putting up the next chapter so quickly. Encouraging reviews and emails are always very much appreciated and that is what makes me write more, but my studies are one of my number 1 priorities until school lets out. Emails and reviews telling me to update immediately or they'll:

1.) Kill me/hunt me down and make me suffer.

2.) Kill themselves

Or anything like that…that does not make me want to write more. That's just scary or it can be annoying. Constructive criticism is good, but the other crap is not. If it's in good humor then I don't mind it, of course, but sometimes I just can't tell. I'm dumb. Anyway, I'll stop rambling now. Thanks for reading and hopefully there will be more in the future unless I die…or something like that. O.O;


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